Actually, I think the "real time" is not a Russian invention in cinematography, it's European... Probably Antonioni's "Ecclise" (1960) is truly a classic motion picture where this approach is used: when heroes, for example, cross a street, they REALLY cross a real street, with the camera following their every step, every movement of their body, arms, head, etc. But, on the other hand, yes, in Tarkovskiy's "Stalker" this "real time" is sometimes exaggerated, taken to the extreme.

Have you seen "The Mirror?" Personally, I like it more than all other motion pictures by A.T., even more than "Andrei Rublev." It may even be my most favorite, most beloved motion picture of all times, the best in cinematography that I've ever seen.

I also love Fellini. "La Dolce Vita" makes me cry every time I see it. Especially the scenes with the hero's father, and the last sequence on the beach.